Torn and Tumbled
by A'Rion Larent
Summary: Korra loses herself in depression after her green-eyed lover betrays her trust. With the help of Opal, Bolin and a tumblr muse, will she be able to pick up the pieces of her tattered heart? Korrasami AU. Rated M.
1. Chapter 1: Earth and Water

_**A/N: Alas I am experiencing writer's block for my other fanfics, so I'm using this as an outlet of sorts to hopefully get the creative juices flowing again. This is a little darker than some of my other fics, but I hope you enjoy it just as much.**_

 _ **Chapter One: Earth and Water**_

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Tumbler… oh wait, I forget we're in the 21st century and missing vowels makes everything more chic. Chic, yet another word that has probably lost all meaning to anyone who can't remember the 90's. Tumblr. The app pops up regardless of my seeming senility and proper spelling. I was advised to get one of these and drown in the abyss that is fandoms. That way I could forget about her… stale green eyes and all. I mutter to myself about how I'm thinking about her by telling myself that I'm trying to forget her, and then sigh as I realize how cyclical it can all be.

I honestly can't imagine myself scrolling down a webpage for longer than one minute; unless of course I was reading fanfiction. I liked reading and fanfiction wasn't an exception; some of my favorite writers were those with pen names. She hated fanfiction, or never really understood it anyways. She was about as malleable as a rock; earth was definitely her element. I shake my head and close my eyes to get the thoughts of her out of my head. How does everything I think of eventually lead back to her?

I look back at the screen, and groan as it prompts me to create a username. What in the seven spirit realms am I going to put? Putting my name is out of the question; I don't want anyone knowing something that personal, and everything I type is somehow taken. My fingers clack away, not pressing hard enough to actually type anything, as I try and come up with something semi-original. What would capture the very spirit I embody, and let people know that I'm unique in this mass conglomerate of social media? WhyBotherAtAll… that sounds perfect, actually. I give a faint smile as it accepts the username and I move on to the more creative aspects of the site.

I didn't really make one of these to post stuff, but maybe somewhere down the road, I'd post some of my doodles or something. Although I love doodling and writing fanfic on my spare time, I'm not too big on the whole sharing aspect. So how did Opal say this worked again? Just search any topic you want and start following people; I'm pretty sure that's what she said. I type in a few things, and find some pretty interesting fan art and memes. A few make me chuckle and I finally understand what Opal was talking about when she said I wouldn't be able to stop scrolling down once I followed enough interesting people.

I'm scrolling for what seems like ages when I come upon a picture of an actual person. Strange, I hadn't seen a pic of anyone, but I guess some people aren't as anonymous. Her eyes are green, kind of like the girl I'm trying to forget, but much paler. Other than having green eyes, she's nothing like the girl I find myself unable to hate regardless of the pain she put me through. She looks happy, carefree and gentle. Her hair isn't pinned up in a tight, oppressive bun, instead, it hangs loose and free.

I sigh as I realize how long I've been staring at her picture instead of scrolling down. When I look up, I see that someone's reblogged her original post… I hesitate as I venture to find the owner of the pic. It's not like I'll ever message her or anything; it would just be interesting to see what kind of person she is… or at least as much as tumblr can tell me. Upon finding her page, I smile at the similar interests she has, including women. I wince slightly at her age… 19. Then again, Kuvira was 4 years older than me… and that never was an issue, well not until she made it one.

Again I shake my head and push out the painful memories, so I can focus on the stranger before me. It's so strange, here I am meeting someone who has no idea that I'm looking at them; if I thought long enough about it, it made me feel like a creeper. I click out of her tumblr and walk to the kitchen with an empty glass of ice. It's quiet now that she's gone; no more yelling at Naga or yelling at me for that matter. As I'm pouring water into the glass, I realize what I need in my life is more ice. The strange abstract thought is either a stroke of genius or a result of staying up past twilight; it's most likely the latter. If Kuvira was earth, and I was water, it would have taken ages to make her edges smooth and less jagged. Everything I said to her bounced right off of her; even when I was just trying to talk things out, she took everything offensively and shielded herself at my expense. But if I met someone who was more like ice; someone who could adapt and change when I came into their life...wouldn't that be something. I swish the ice cubes in my cup as they grow smaller. Hopefully they wouldn't disappear like this ice eventually would.

I chuckle at my sad, little inner thoughts and head towards the bed. I pet Naga who lays contently by the bed. Kuvira had never let Naga so much as come into the room; always calling her a filthy, smelly dog, even though she was bathed. When we first met she seemed to like Naga well enough, but I should have noticed how Naga never really warmed up to her. I guess she could sense her lack of genuine affection from the get go; I wish I had those kind of instincts.

My head drowns itself in the pillow and I focus on my breathing. Tomorrow would be better, and it'd be a month since she left. Why am I even counting? I groan and turn on my side; I can feel the sleep crawling over me, pushing down on my lids. I won't be able to fight it much longer. I pray to the spirits that I won't dream of her again, to grant me one night of blissful, dreamless sleep. Is that really too much to ask for?


	2. Chapter 2: A Hand to Hold

_**A/N: Two chaps, one day! Again, things will slowly reveal themselves and this obviously does not follow canon in anyway. This is mostly just a brain exercise for me... and maybe a slight bit of writing therapy involved haha! Anyways, read and review!**_

 _ **Chapter Two: A Hand to Hold**_

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I feel the ache in my heart before anything else. The sun peeks in through the blinds and tries encouraging me by saying I've made it through the night. The same dream, the same awful feeling as I am powerless to do anything but watch it play out. I slam my fist into the pillow next to me and try, in vain, to turn my sob into an angry growl. There's no use, I'm not strong, she took what little strength I had, so I let the tears come and cradle myself in the blankets.

I hear my cell buzzing beneath one of the pillows; my heart rushes as the thought of Kuvira calling or texting flashes in my mind. That'd be impossible though, since I've blocked her. Technically, Opal blocked her, but I had left it that way so I could take some of the credit. I dig for the phone and see that it's none other than Opal calling. Hesitantly I pick up; if I don't she'd come rushing over.

"Finally, I was about to go knock your door down." Opal lightly threatens, I know she's only half joking.

"You're way too tiny to be making those threats." I respond in a raspy, morning voice.

"I'm sure me and Bolin would manage."

I know she knows I've been crying, but I'm glad she doesn't bring it up. Still, I could hear the silent question lingers as her breath hitches. She wants to know how I am holding up; if I need some company. Last time, I blew up on her and told her all I wanted to be was alone, but even I knew that wasn't the truth.

"I got on that tumblr thing," I pick up the conversation.

"Really? Find anything you like so far?"

For a moment that girl with soft, green eyes flashes through my head, but I quickly divert my thoughts "tons of fanart; it makes me want to start drawing again."

"You should really get a Pinterest then, there's a whole bunch of stuff, and you can-"

I cut her off before she can race ahead, "hold up, one new app at a time; I'm barely getting the hang of this one."

"You sound like an old lady, actually my grandma probably uses more apps than you." Opal teases and we both share a genuine laugh.

"Your family is way too hip," I respond.

"There you go using those awful outdated words." Opal sighs, "did you want to go to the park today; it's nice out and I brought a new frisbee."

I look out the window and notice that the sun is already high in the sky; when I look down at my phone, it dawns on me that it's already 1 pm. My body felt stiff, my eyes still felt heavy and Naga was nowhere in sight. She probably used the doggy door to get some fresh air. With the way things were, I was probably suffocating her with my misery.

"Come on, I'm sure you and Naga could use some fresh air," Opal pipes up again. I swear she was a mind reader in another life.

"Alright, alright, just…. come over and get me." I add the last part to let her know I'm not exactly ok; that I need help.

"Of course!" She responds happily and I smile. I was lucky to have someone as persistent as Opal so concerned over me. As soon as the news broke, she was the first one to respond. "Be ready in ten minutes!" She demands and then the line goes dead.

Ten minutes? I slide out of bed and drag my feet to the drawers of clothes. All of her stuff is gone, which makes them look sort of empty. I put on some comfortable jogging pants and a t-shirt. With that taken care of, I go out to the backyard in search of Naga. She perks her ears up as I open the door and whistle for her. Her tail wags and she licks my leg in greetings.

"Hey girl, I know I've been a mess, but today let's try and have some fun." I scratch behind her ears until her hind leg thumps against the floor. "Opal is taking us out today."

I pack a bag of treats for her, some doggie bags to clean up after her and one of her fetch toys. Whilst attaching her leash, I hear a knock at the door.

"Come in!" I shout to let Opal know it's open.

The door clicks as she opens it, and I turn around to say hi. At least I would have said hi, if she hadn't been looking at me with a mild look of horror.

"Are you going out like that?" She points at all of me.

"Yeah, why, what's wrong?"

She groans and grabs my hand as she peels off towards the bathroom. I look into the mirror and only then do I realize that I really haven't done much with my hair. It's sticking out in various ways, and I have a horrendous cowlick at the front of my head. Other than that I can't help but notice that I look worn down with noticeable bags under my eyes.

Opal fusses with my hair, spraying god knows what on it until it eventually bows to her. I don't bother to stop her; I've learned that there really is no stopping Opal when she's got both of her hands woven in your hair.

"Alright, at least now you look like you haven't been sleeping all day." Opal mutters as she pulls me back out towards the living room where Naga awaits patiently wagging her tail. "C'mon, Bolin is waiting for us in the truck."

"Right," I smile and lead Naga out the front and towards the big, forest green truck that was parked out front.

Naga jumps in the truck bed and barks her excitement as Bolin shouts his greetings. I hop in the truck to sit in my usual spot and offer him a small smile. He lightly jabs my shoulder before pulling me in for a strong hug.

"Korra! I missed you on our snow cone day!" He mock sobs into my ear.

"Yeah right, I bet you ordered for me and were happy to eat my share." I jest.

"You told her!" Bolin looks hurt as he eyes Opal.

Opal rolls her eyes with a smirk, "nope, but now she knows for sure."

I laugh at Bolin's self-incrimination and pat him on the back, "it's alright, I'm glad you didn't let it go to waste."

"That's exactly what I was thinking, so you up from some frisbee. I bet me and Naga could beat you and Opal at a game of ultimate frisbee." Naga barks in the back to accompany Bolin.

"Would that even be fair, have you seen how high Opal can jump and how fast she can run?" I smirk, "but since you've already made the bet, we'll make the prize extra large snow cones.

"You're on!" Bolin gets pumped up easily.

The park that we usually go to isn't too far away, but any kind of silence makes me think of her. I glance at Bolin, he also reminds me of earth, but not in the cold, hard way that Kuvira does. He's more like the cute little pebble you'd place in your pocket, or the lucky rock you keep in a drawer. I used to think of Kuvira that way… when we first started getting to know each other. It's not too long before I feel Opal's gaze on me. I told her from the get go, not to feel responsible for anything. Even if she was the one that introduced Kuvira to me, none of what happened was remotely her fault. Still I can't meet Opal's green eyes with my blue ones, so I pretend not to notice.

"Here we are!" Bolin parks under a tree and hurries out of the car. "C'mon Naga lets kick their butts and get free snow cones!"

"I wouldn't count on it!" Opal retorts and grabs my hand to pull me out of the truck.

I nod at her encouragement but pull my hand away as soon as we're out of the truck. It's not that it's weird; Opal and I always held hands as children, but usually it was the other way around. I was usually the one pulling her somewhere, usually in the direction of trouble.

I jog a little and then stretch before our game starts, and honestly wonder how my dog is supposed to know the rules of this game. However, as I'm tying my shoe, I see Bolin on his knees presumably going over game plans with her. I chuckle at the severity of his expressions, and turn to see Opal watching me again.

"I'm ok, I swear." Maybe giving her a little reassurance will wipe that worried expression off of her face.

"It's alright if you aren't; I just want you to have some fun since you have a week off of work."

I kick at some dirt with my shoe; after my last meltdown, my boss had given me a week off for my "mental health." My neck tenses as the memory plays out-me crying as I tried typing up a report and then accidentally spilling my coffee on my superior's shirt. From there it only got worse.

"Don't remind me; I'd rather be out working my cases than stuck at home." I mutter.

"Sorry," Opal knows pushing any further might set me off.

Going back to work wasn't going to fix anything. They were both part of the same department I was in, so I was going to run into them sooner or later. I felt my throat clench as a familiar feeling began to overtake me.

"Heads up!" Bolin shouts, and by reaction I raise my hand up to catch a flying frisbee.

"Good catch," Opal smiles and takes off to get ready for a pass.

The game commences and the exertion feels nice on my body. All the knots that had been accumulating seem to spread out and release as I jump or run for the frisbee. Naga is surprisingly good at both catching and throwing the frisbee, so the game is close. It's down to this last point, and with a confident grin at Opal, we commence our last play.

Naga comes rushing at me and I know I'm going to have to throw it before she gets any closer. In the distance I see Bolin trying to keep up with Opal, but his sturdy build can't keep up with her agility. I launch it to the deep end, and Opal rushes towards the point she knows it'll arch to. I shout as she catches and readies to pass it. I see her throw it and look ahead; it's a race between me and Naga. I push hard and lope, trying my hardest to out run my dog. Being rash, I decide that I'm going to have to dive if I want to nab it before she does.

Just as I'm about to launch myself forward, I spot a familiar tight bun up ahead… and a familiar scarfed young man right next to her. My stomach turns and my head spins; instead of going forward, I feel myself falling back. I hear the others shouting after me as I fall on my back and look up towards the sky. I shouldn't have come out today; I should have just stayed inside.

"Korra!" Opal kneels at my side. "What happened, you just-" Bolin taps her shoulder and I see her gaze go where mine went moments earlier.

'What the hell?" Opal's brow furrows and I can tell she wants to do something drastic so I pull her back down before she can go stomp over there.

"Don't, let's just go." I say with a tight throat; I want to cry.

"No, I'm going to tell them to fuck off," Opal spits as she threatens to leave again.

"Please, Opal…" I want to tell her how this is a public park, how anyone could be here and that I'm ok, but the truth is it hurts too much being so close to them.

"Let's go," this time it's Bolin who tells Opal to let it go. He's not calm often, but when he is, it's reassuring. "I saw this new snow cone stand in front of a little shop; let's check that out." He smiles to relieve the tension.

I nod as they both help me up, while Naga whines and licks me on the face. I don't know what I'd do without these guys, or how I would even function with everything that's happened, but I'm glad I'll never know. Opal takes my hand again and this time she won't let me pull away.


	3. Chapter 3: RedBlue

_**Chapter 3: Red/Blue**_

I still feel a raw pulse at the back of my head as Bolin drives us towards the snow cone place. The way he's driving, you'd think we were in an ambulance and getting the snow cones was a life or death matter. Opal's hand is still firmly holding on to mine, and after a few deep breaths, I feel myself coming back. The numbness from before leaves, and I'm not so sure that's a good thing.

I look ahead and notice the place we're at is actually a small pet boutique with a snow cone stand right in front of it. As soon as Bolin parks, Naga jumps off the back and rushes towards the stand. I chase after her, afraid that she might cause some trouble.

"Naga, wait up!" I shout after her. "Hey, don't!" I see her nipping at the bottom of one of the customer's shirts.

I watch as the girl looks down and pets her; then she laughs as Naga licks her hand.

"Wow aren't you beautiful?" She says to Naga.

Her voice is steady and rich, her hair is long and black, but held up in a ponytail. When she turns to face me, I do a double take- soft, green eyes. It's the girl from tumblr… or at least I think it is. She says something to me with a smile, and I suddenly seem to have forgotten English because I can't translate her sounds into words. I stare at her and feel something warming up my face. Was I blushing?

"Sorry, she's a little out of it," I hear Opal reply as the girl awaits my response.

I shake my head and try to snap myself out of the trance. I look at her shirt and it reads "Pawsitive." I guess she works at the pet store.

"You do seem a little flushed, you should try the cherry snow cone that should help." The girl speaks to me again and this time I'm able to understand her.

"Korra is actually a raspberry kind of girl," Bolin intercedes before I can come up with anything.

Without another word to anyone, I approach the snow cone vendor and ask for a cherry snowcone, extra large. The girl smiles at me and I feel that same feeling spreading through my face again.

"I thought you hated cherry," Bolin raises a brow.

I lightly punch his shoulder, "I never said I hated it." I mutter and keep my eyes on the ground.

The girl still hasn't introduced herself, and I'm wondering if I should ask. Before I can work up the courage to do anything, she walks off towards the snow cone vendor and orders a raspberry snowcone. When she returns, she brings a small bowl of water for Naga and sets it on the floor.

Then she looks at me and says, "since you're trying my favorite flavor, I'll try yours."

I open my mouth to say something, but again I'm at a loss for words. Opal comes to my rescue this time and asks for her name.

"Oh right, sorry I never introduced myself, I'm Asami. I work part time at this pet shop."

I clear my throat and finally come up with a response. "Thanks for getting Naga some water; I'm Korra and these are my friends Opal and Bolin." I offer her a small smile and hope I don't look too ridiculous.

"No problem, I love dogs, animals in general." She pets Naga again and once again she is rewarded with licks. "It's one of the reasons I work here. My complex doesn't allow animals, but I see enough cuties pass by."

She looks up at me and for a second I think she's flirting, but the moment passes and I chide myself for believing anything of the sort. Before any awkward silences can settle, our orders come out and two large bowls of blue and red sit at the provided picnic table. Bolin and Opal excuse themselves and go off to make their own order, leaving me with Asami.

"Sorry about before, the heat must have fried my brain." I jest and take a seat by her.

"It happens," she says, but I have to wonder if she really believes me. "I love that this snow cone vendor sets up shop here."

I take a bite of the cherry snow cone and savor the sweetness as well as the chill of the ice. I hadn't really given cherry a chance; blue snow cones had always been my thing. I glance sideways and see that she's also taken a bite from her snowcone.

"So have I converted you?" She ask and I nearly spit out the ice in my mouth.

"Converted me?" I ask, but then remember that I'm trying cherry because she suggested it. "Oh, you mean the snow cone…" I take another bite, "I'll make it my second favorite."

"Alright, I'll take that as a yes." She smiles and then continues eating hers. "I personally love blue snow cones, but I feel like they always dye my tongue blue." She sticks out her tongue and I laugh- it's bluer than my eyes.

Opal returns and I can tell that she's excited to hear me laugh. Asami shows them her tongue as well, and Bolin is ecstatic in also turning his tongue into an unnatural color. After a painful brainfreeze, he sticks out his tongue and asks if it's as green as his eyes. For a second, Kuvira pops into my head again at the mention of green eyes, but Asami's laugh quickly pulls me back. Bolin leads most of the conversation, thankfully; I still feel a bit out of it from the park and meeting someone I had somewhat virtually stalked the night before.

To my surprise Naga has already warmed up to Asami; she's sitting by her wagging her tail and consistently sniffing at something in her pocket.

"That's right I almost forgot!" Asami dives her hand into her pocket and pulls out a few dog treats. "You're a savior Naga; I would have ruined another load of clothes."

I smile at her goofiness as she gives Naga the snacks.

"How long have you had her?" She asks.

"We all grew up together," I glance at Opal and Bolin, "I think we were all around the age of 7 or so when we found her as a pup."

"Really?" Asami's eyes widened, "she seems pretty young."

"Oh yeah, that's because she's from the wilds. We didn't just find her on the street; we found her in the frozen lands of the Southern Water Tribe." Bolin began his epic story.

I grin as he mentions how I persuaded everyone into venturing out during a snowstorm because I heard a pack of polarbear dogs howling. He goes on to say how they were all on the brink of freezing to death, when they came upon a small, white ball of fluff. Asami listens eagerly and Opal can't help but roll her eyes at her partner's clear exaggeration of their escapade.

I remember that day clearly; it was the day we all met. Opal and I were introduced at some gaudy political party since my dad was Chief of the Southern Water Tribe and her mom was leader of Zaofu. We got along well enough, but it didn't bode well for our parents that we were both fond of getting in trouble. We snuck away from the adults to raid the table full of food, and that's when we ran into Bolin and Ma…. the memory begins to sting, so I discard it before it can get worse.

"No wonder she's so huge," Asami says at Bolin's story winds to an end. "Are you alright?" I feel her hand on my shoulder and jump a little.

"Sorry, yeah, brainfreeze." I wave my hand in front of my face and play it off like it was nothing.

This time I can tell she's not convinced, but she doesn't push anything. Instead she places a small clump of blue ice in my snow cone cup. I look at her with a quizzical expression to which she smiles and says, "I figured you could use some; dying your tongue red isn't as fun."

I smirk and devour the blue ice, "did it work?" I stick out my tongue and she nods.

"Your one of us now!" Bolin emphatically states and raises his spoon.

Opal giggles as the green ice, that Bolin had shot straight into the air, lands on his head. Naga is quick to react and quickly licks it off of her companion before Bolin can protest. I feel warm inside as everyone laughs at the spectacle that is Bolin and Naga. I look over to Asami, who has finished her snow cone, and wonder if I should ask for her number.

"Well I better get back to the store," she rises to leave and my courage drains.

I can't ask for her number; I'm a mess. Someone as happy and nice as she seemed surely didn't need someone as messed up as me.

"You should bring Naga in sometime; I work the morning shifts." She's look at me as she says this, and I can't help but smile.

"Yeah sure," I simply say, not promising anything.

We say our goodbyes and I can't help but feel like our meeting was fateful. After all, what are the chances of meeting the girl that had caught your eye on tumblr? Speaking of which… would it be strange if I added her now?


	4. Chapter 4: Checking Out

A/N: Another short but sincere chapter! So I know some key characters might be a little OOC, but I still hope you're enjoying the story as is. Let me know how you're liking it thus far, or maybe some tips on plot or writing style.

 _ **Chapter 4: Checking Out**_

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Since that day at the park I haven't gone back to the snow cone shop or the pet boutique even though Opal keeps asking if I've gone back, or how Asami is… like she's some old acquaintance of ours. Maybe she thinks setting me up with Asami will make up for introducing me to Kuvira; I scowl at the thought. I wasn't in the right frame of mind to be anything to anyone; as it was I could barely take care of Naga and myself.

I scroll through my tumblr again and am amazed at some of the fanart on here; some people were beyond gifted. I look back at my old drafting table… it's covered in junk mail and ads. When she was around, there wasn't really any time for me to invest in the hobbies I held dear… she always saw my art as a waste of time unless of course it was directed at her, then it was sweet. Before I can drown in my thoughts, I look away and return to my tumblr and am face to face with the pale, green eyes I've been avoiding. Again one of the people I'm following has reblogged one of her posts… apparently there's some sort of sale at the pet boutique. She's smiling with a bunch of dogs all around her, and I can't help but smile back. She looks so happy that it's infectious. Naga comes up to me and licks my hand with her tail wagging; even she's picking up on the good vibes.

"You do deserve a new toy and some treats," I think aloud; daring to put myself in the light. "Do you wanna go for a run?"

Naga barks excitedly and runs off only to return with her leash. I chuckled and gladly connect it to her collar. With an eagerness that almost felt foreign, I change into my athletic wear and slip on some running shoes. It's been awhile since I've ran full of excitement rather than anger or numbness. The boutique is about 4 miles away, but I'm more than up for it.

With Naga in tow, we begin our steady pace and I take a deep breath in as a breeze rolls by. Usually I'd bring my headphones along and listen to angsty music, but right now I'm more than content with the natural sounds of the atmosphere. It's serene how the leaves rustle ever so often, birds call out to each other and ever so often there's some other person creating a unique sound to add to the collaboration.

I look ahead and find that we're only about a half a mile away from our destination; when I look back down at my watch, I smirk. This is a new record for me and Naga. There's a thin layer of sweat forming on my skin, but I'm not too worried about it. Besides, I was here for Naga… seeing Asami was just part of the deal. When we finally make it to the boutique, my throat feels dry and I bet Naga is also in need of refreshment, so I stop by the snow cone stand. I order two ice waters and the man happily provides me with a disposable bowl for my dog.

I sit under the umbrella-covered picnic table and enjoy the cool water sliding down my throat. Water was the best thing ever after a steady run. I close my eyes for a second and think about what I'd say to Asami if she brought up me not visiting sooner. I could just tell her I was busy… but Opal had mentioned last time that I was off for two weeks.

"Hey!"

I nearly spit out the water I had been slowly drinking as I feel hands on my shoulders.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," she says as I swallow the water and have a coughing fit.

"I'm…" I take a deep breath and regain control, "fine."

"I was just really excited to see you again," she smiles and I can feel that warm feeling spreading to my cheeks again.

"I saw there was a sale today, and Naga definitely deserves some treats and toys." I completely dismiss her strange comment whilst looking at their sale banner, and part of me regrets not asking why.

"Perfect timing then," she takes me by the hand and again I feel a strange rush.

I follow her into the store and am immediately surrounded by more people than I want to be surrounded by. A couple of dogs are walking freely by their owners, but they all stop and make way for Naga who could easily stomp on them. Our hands are still connected and I can't help but feel like everyone notices that.

She's recommending a few of the products and it's happening again. I'm having a hard time understanding her because I'm so focused on the fact that her hand still has mine in custody. I nod every now and then, guessing when it's a proper response.

"I'll take these," I manage to say as I pull my hand from hers and pick a few of the things she had pulled out from the shelves.

"Great, follow me and I'll check you out."

"What?" I can't help but blabber that out as I nearly trip over one of my shoes. Then I realize that she's talking about me paying for the stuff.

"Is your brain heating up again?" I can hear the teasing in her voice so I smile and hope to the Spirits that I'm not blushing.

"Something like that," I confess but say no more.

"Also," she stands in front of me with a playful smile, "do you mind if I take a pic of you and Naga? For the store of course."

I look back at Naga who nudges me forward; seems like she's completely up for her photo shoot. I nod and before I can think of a decent pose, she's already taken the picture.

"Perfect!" She glances at her phone and then tucks it away in her pocket. "You'd both be the perfect models for our store."

I look away from her and scratch the back of my head; how is she so comfortable saying embarrassing things like that? I follow her to the front and try my best at returning to a normal temperature. As I'm waiting for her to ring up the total, I can't help but feel like she's glancing at me every now and then. I try and not catch her eyes… but it happens and we both just smile and then look away. As Asami hands me the bag full of dog goodies, I momentarily think of Kuvira. She would get so pissed at me supposedly flirting with other women; half the time she actually convinced me I was flirting rather than being friendly.

"You ok?" Asami asks and I quickly snap out of my memories.

"Oh yeah, sorry," I apologize even though I know there's nothing to apologize for; it's another habit induced by my time spent with Kuvira.

"No worries, you just looked a little….sad." Asami's expression take me off guard for a moment; she looks genuinely concerned.

"I'm fine," I glance at the receipt and notice it's not as much as I thought it would be, "hey did you ring these up right…. it says here that-" my face turns red as I take in the full contents of the receipt. She gave me her employee discount… as well as her phone number.

"You can call the store if you have any questions about our products… or anything else." She winks at me and prepares to help the next customer before I can reply.

I head out with Naga in tow and haven't stopped looking at the receipt in my hands. There was a time when getting a pretty girl's phone number would have made my day, but looking at it now only stressed me out. She seemed nice… but how long would it take for her to get tired of me like Kuvira did? I start to crumple the receipt as we near a trash can.

Before I can throw it away, Naga whines and touches the paper bag with her nose.

"You want a treat before we run back?" I ask and she replies by wagging her massive tail side to side. I pull out one of Asami's recommendations and give it to my eager dog.

Instead of throwing the receipt in the trash, I put it in the paper bag. It'd probably end up in the trash can at home, but it wouldn't hurt to carry it around for a while longer. I sigh as my logic continues to make no sense, but smile at how happy Naga looks as she finishes up her snack. On the way back home, I'm struggling to keep my focus; my thoughts are turned towards Asami. I feel guilty, for some reason, and it makes me sick. I still feel like I belong to Kuvira even after the fact that she basically threw me away.

I get home, hop in the shower and wish that I could just wash away all of my problems. As the water massages the tension in my back, I throw my head back and let my hair soak. Water always helped ease the ache out of my muscles-heart included. I look down at my body and run my hands along my torso. Firm abs, chiseled muscles, and a full chest… I kept in shape because I loved the feeling and my job required it. Making detective in Republic city was one of my greatest accomplishments, and something I loved doing. I wince in disgust as another wave of self pity rushes towards me. It wasn't enough to keep her with me. Neither my job or my body were lacking, but I never seemed like enough.

Back on my bed with my hair in a towel, I glance at my phone. Opal hasn't called today which I'm partly relieved at. I click on the tumblr app and come across a familiar image. It's me and Naga at the pet boutique; I look shy and awkward, but Naga looks confident and majestic. I read the comment below and feel a smile tugging at my lips.

 _The perks of working at a pet boutique = meeting the cutest dogs and their even cuter owners._


	5. Chapter 5: Inescapable Fate

A/N: So how are we all liking it so far? I'm glad a get a decent amount of hits per day on TnT. It's become one of my favorite things to write somehow. Also if it notifies you of updates of previous chapters, it's just to correct some silly grammar mistakes. Enjoy!

Torn and Tumbled

Chapter 5: Inescapable Fate

* * *

It's my first day back at work and so far I'm alright. Our desks have been shifted, and I've been given one of the far left cubicles to call my own. Beifong was happy to accommodate me and even offered some advice: get over it. I sigh as I look at the stack of case files that I have to review; it would be easier getting over that than it would be facing what had happened.

I clocked in early than usual because I didn't want to run into either of them on the way in, but I had forgotten my coffee in the process and that made for a bland start. I scan my desk for something out of the ordinary, and my breath hitches as my eyes rest on a small piece of paper folding neatly by my desktop. I pretend to organize the mess on my desk and grab it nonchalantly. Since blocking Kuvira on my phone, she had no way to reach out to me-was this note from her?

I unfold it and my beating heart comes to a standstill as I gaze lifelessly at the empty sheet before me. It was blank. I throw it in my waste basket and pull my mouth into a frown; I disappoint myself with my fragility.

"Good morning!" A happy, deep voice pulls me out of my self pity.

"Bolin!" I offer him a small smile and scoot my chair back so he fits more comfortably in my cubicle. "I wasn't expecting you."

"The best things in life are unexpected," he places a hot cup of coffee from my favorite cafe and a bag of their famous donuts.

My eyes gleam as the scent of the chocolate glazed donuts lingers in the air. I stand up and pull him in for a hug.

"Thanks, Bo you're the best!"

"I was hoping to catch you at the cafe, but you didn't drop by at the usual time."

"I know you're a reporter, and my best guy friend, but I find it a bit creepy that you know exactly when I'm at Iroh's." I tease him while digging into the the brown parcel for my beloved donut. "These are seriously the best!"

"I thought I was the best." Bolin pouts.

"That was before I put this donut in my mouth," I tease and offer him the other one.

"No, no, no!" Bolin waves his hands in front of him in denial. "Opal would kill me if I ate another donut."

"Opal never cares about what you eat." I protest.

"That was until I ate her donut." Bolin looked down at the floor with guilt. "Plus, you need the donut more than I do." He looks behind his shoulder, "how is everything?"

I sigh before responding, "Fine so far; Beifong's put me on some really awful cases though. I doubt I'll be doing any fieldwork for awhile."

"You'll be on your feet again in no time." He reassures me. "Opal wants to have lunch later today if you're up for it, but I better rush to the news studio before Varrick drives Zhu Li crazy."

"Of course," I smile and wave bye as he walks out of the building.

That's when I see her, looking back at me with a smirk and proceeding to make her way to my cubicle. My stomach turns; she looks completely unfazed.

"Glad to see you back at the office; enjoy your vacation?" her question stings; it's an accusation not an inquiry. Every time I spent time away from her, she accused me of seeing other people.

"As much as I could," I reply and then turn to look at my computer.

"You didn't have to block me, you know." She mutters. "I called to apologize for the way things happened, but I wouldn't change a thing."

With that she leaves and I feel a tightening in my chest. I want to yell at her, cry, hurt her the way I'm hurting, tell her she never meant anything to me, tell her I've moved on, that I don't care if she slept with my best friend…. but I can't. Instead I let the pain burn silently within me and hold my tears back. The donut loses its flavor and I find myself feeling unable to focus.

"Hey kid!" Beifong's voice rings in my ear as she swats me on the head with a folder. "I have a special assignment for you."

"What do you mean special?" I groan and dodge another one of her whacks.

"You know Future Industries and their CEO, Hiroshi Sato?" She looks at me with a smirk, "well it looks like he wants someone to run a detail on his daughter."

"He has a daughter? And why would he want that?"

"Apparently she's not up to par with what he believes his heir should be, so he's kept her out of the limelight. And I'm not entirely sure why he wants someone on her, but he doesn't want any of his goons in on it, so he's willing to make a considerable donation to the Republic City Police if we put one of our detectives on it."

"You never care about 'donations'" I do air quotes around the word and try and see past her smirk. "And you've been saying that Sato's corrupt for years now, so why take on something like this?."

"Exactly, and I think he's trying to offer this assignment and shush money as a way of alleviating my suspicions," Beifong throws the file in my lap. "I did the preliminary research on the girl, and I think he's miscalculated. Get close to her and that'll be our way in."

"Is this even legal?" I raise a brow at the unnamed folder.

"Sato has somehow dodged every charge against him by playing outside of the book." Beifong lightly growls as she continues, "I trust you with this task, and honestly you're probably the only one that could pull it off."

"Is that so?" Again I feel like she's not telling me the whole story.

"Be glad that you're single, kid. Other people just drag you down." The chief places her hand on my shoulder, "forward that stack of papers to Kuvira; she could use the overtime. I want you to to make this case your sole focus."

I smirk at the chief and nod my head. I really didn't care about the legality of it either; if it got me out of all those bull shit cases and their paperwork, I was up for anything. I call after one of the secretaries, a quiet girl by the name of Rin. She keeps her eyes to the floor and glances up at me ever so often.

"Would you mind taking this stack of case files to Kuvira's desk?"

"O,o,of course I wouldn't mind." She quickly replies and struggles to take the whole pile.

"Ummm, you can take a few at a time, I really don't mind you popping in and out." I smile at her to ease some of the awkwardness, but her face turns red and she rushes out with a majority of the files.

"Alrighty then, let's take a look at my savior from all that bullshit." I open the file and chuckle at my lightheadedness. I close my eyes, rub them and make sure I get all my fantasies out before I take another look. "Fuck…" the picture hasn't changed; it's her.

Who would have ever thought that I'd run into her pale eyes in here of all places. I take the small 2 by 4 picture of her out of the file and hold it gingerly between my fingers. First tumblr, then the pet shop and now here she was in my case file. Before I can get pulled into some awful inner monologue about fate, Rin pops in again and picks up the rest of the files.

"You were the prettier one, just so you know." She speaks lowly and for once her eyes are meeting mine.

"Th, thanks," I can't help but stutter as the girl scurries away.

I feel a bit warm after the compliment and then smile. People weren't so bad after all.

"What the hell is this?"

I'm snapped out of my momentary peaceful revelation. I look up at Kuvira; her brows are furrowed and she has a small portion of the case files that I had just sent to her.

"Beifong wants you to look over those." I reply and quickly turn to my computer.

Kuvira is still behind me and I can feel her gaze burning through my shoulder.

"Should've known you were fucking around too." She lets out a vehement whisper and for a moment I'm at a loss until I realize she's talking about the picture I have in my hand.

"Is there a problem here?" Beifong appears behind Kuvira.

"I'm simply confused why Korra's workload was transferred to me." Kuvira has regained her cool already.

"I have Korra on a special assignment, and you've been asking for more hours." Beifong's brow twitches as she senses Kuvira's resilient nature. "You both are talented detectives, but if you're going to keep making this office into a theater, I'll have both of your badges and your asses back on the street."

Kuvira sighs and bows before leaving the chief's presence. I also nod my head towards her in understanding before she heads back to her office. The last thing I wanted to lose was my badge for a girl who had torn me apart. I place Asami's file in my bag and head out; I'd make more progress on this at home than I would here. Beifong had no idea that I had already met Asami, and that the pet boutique part timer was already somewhat attracted to me. She would have been the one person outside of all this mess, but fate made itself clear. She was an assignment, nothing more, and it was my duty to get closer to her. I didn't have to worry about real feelings or getting hurt, or about her being my rebound, or her being the person I needed to feel ok. She could be none of those things now…. this was our inescapable fate.


	6. Chapter 6: Objective One

A/N: It's been awhile, but I really want to get this rolling again, so thanks to all of you that stuck around! I know Kuvira is a little crass, but we'll be understanding her character a little more after we dig deeper.

Chapter 6: Objective One

I toss aside Asami's file and take a deep breath. I understand what Beifong meant when she said Hiroshi had miscalculated. Single kid, divorced parents, smart as hell, sociable, gorgeous… the seemingly perfect heir to take over Future Industries, except for one thing-she wasn't interested. Her relationship with her father was damaged by his absence and her strong attachment to her mother made things even more tenuous. I look down at the waste basket by my desk and see the receipt that I had thrown in there days before.

It's not like I was keeping track of it just in case I wanted to text her… I just didn't have a lot of trash to begin with. I swipe it up and uncrumple it. Objective one would have to be drawing her into my personal life, and placing myself in hers. Lucky for me I already had her number. I pull out my phone and save her number, but when it comes to actually texting her, I find myself at a loss.

"Hey this is Korra… you're now under investigation, or how about, hey it's Korra, I have a whole file full of stuff about you on my desk…" I groan as I recall one undeniable fact about myself. I've never been smooth with the ladies.

With Kuvira, I was a blubbering mess, but she somehow found it endearing. Of course recently she was nothing but annoyed by my natural mannerisms, but what did it matter anymore? I push thoughts of her out and focus on my assignment.

Korra: Hey it's Korra, so I have a question about the snacks you sold me.

I stare at the text I just sent and wince… I really didn't have any game. She had said to call her if I had any question about the shop's products, but I knew she was probably just alluding to texting her casually. My phone buzzes and for a second I feel too nervous to check.

Asami: Hey Korra! Glad to hear from you, and sure what about them?

Korra: Naga really liked them; I was wondering if you sold in bulk.

Asami: Of course, if you come in before 12, I can get you squared away.

Korra: Great, on my way!

I sigh, it wasn't what I was going for, but at least we'd see each other in person and I'd hopefully come across as a more sociable person. I head towards my garage and take a seat on my vintage satocycle; it was another one of my hobbies that Kuvira hated. When I bought the satocycle it was well on its way to satocycle heaven, but with a little love, time and a hefty lump of money, I was able to rejuvenate it to glory. It's like I gave it a second chance at life… maybe I'd be able to do the same for me.

The drive there is short and I'm already in the parking lot by the time it dawns on me that I had asked to purchase something in bulk. I haven't taken off my helmet yet and I'm wondering if it's not too late to turn back and come in my car.

"Hey!"

I mentally groan as her cheery voice reaches me. I take off my helmet and place it on my lap as I turn to greet her.

"Are you ever in the shop, or do you often personally greet customers in the parking lot?" I smirk as she emits a faint blush.

She clears her throat and eyes me with what I can only decipher as mischief. Then she says, "I take it, you actually came here to take me out to lunch since there's no way you'd be able to carry a bulk of Naga's snacks on that."

I struggle to come up with a reply and she notices, but that doesn't stop her from getting on my bike. I feel her legs wrap behind me, and it takes all the focus I have to keep my bike from tilting over the way my brain is doing.

"Alright where to?" She asks and my phone begins ringing.

"One second," I look and see Opal's name on my screen. "Hey Opal, what's up?"

"Korra, where are you? You're not at the office." She sounds like a helicopter mom.

"Calm down, I just… had to pick up my plus one for lunch."

"Plus one? Oh my god is it Asami?" She speaks a little too loudly and I know Asami overheard her so my face heats up again.

"You're being too loud, anyways, where are we meeting for lunch?"

"Let's meet at that fire noodle place, the one by my office." There's a note of delight that hadn't been there before.

"Alright got it, see you there." I hang up and put the phone back in my jacket. "We're meeting up with Opal and Bolin if that's alright with you."

"Of course," she wraps her arms around my waist and presses against me.

I feel like leaning into her body more, but I keep from doing anything that embarrassing. I look down at my helmet and realize I only have one.

"Here you can have…" I look over my shoulder and finish my sentence, "my helmet?"

She already has a helmet on and she points to the right. I follow her finger and find myself looking at a much bigger bike than mine. I look back at her and point; she nods. If I wasn't nervous before, I was sweating bullets now. I rode my bike occasionally, but it had been some time since I had someone ride with me. I took one more look at her monster of a bike and feel something akin to respect for the slightly taller girl. She had seemed lanky and fragile, but if that was her bike, then she definitely knew how to carry herself.

I rev the engine to get us going and begin to feel comfortable with her arms wrapped around me. She's not squeezing the life out of me, which I had feared might happen before I saw that she also rides. We come to a red light and I hear a few whistles break through the rumble of my engine. I roll my eyes because there's nothing else I can really do, but from one of my side mirrors I can see Asami's middle finger raised and aimed towards the truck next to us. I chuckle and rev my engine again to block out whatever the man in the truck is shouting back at her. Before he gets the chance to repeat himself, the light turns green and I race ahead.

Strange, I thought, Asami's profile made her seem like a fragile, goody-two shoes with no particular edge, but from the little time I have spent with her, that doesn't seem to be the case. I pull into the food joint's parking lot and see Opal waiting eagerly ahead. I feel Asami slip off the back seat and a good amount of warmth leaves me. I kind of felt like riding around town with her for a while longer.

"Asami!" Opal goes straight for my plus one who barely has time to take off her helmet. "It's so nice to see you again." Opal hugs her before taking a step back and smirking at me.

"It's nice to see you guys again too," She replies, but Opal is still giving me that look.

"What?" I say half annoyed that she's looking at me so smugly.

"I thought you were bailing on lunch," Opal explains, "when I didn't find you at the office, but if I had known you had taken off to see Asami…"

"I… I did not!" I stammer and try to maintain my dignity. "I went to the pet shop, and…" I glance at Asami who is amused by the scene. "Fine, I went to go see Asami, but I actually had forgotten about lunch until you called me." I mutter in defeat.

"Hey, how could you forget lunch with your best friend?" Opal was mildly hurt, but I was glad the subject had shifted.

"Sorry, it just happened," I shrug and start walking towards the diner. "Anyways let's eat!"

Lately food had lost it's appeal, which was saying something since I loved eating. I always enjoyed eating a large meal after a taxing day on the field, but ever since Kuvira left, I've barely been eating. Today, felt different. There was a reason to eat.

I order the usual with a glass of ice water to help with the burning noodles. As we're eating, I notice Asami has a peculiar expression on.

"Are you alright?" I ask.

"These are…" her face turns red before she can finish.

"Wait, what did you order?"

"The same thing you did!" she responds, and I quickly put my water cup to her lips.

I gently aid her in pouring down the cool liquid and see a sense of relief in her face. I should have paid more attention to what she had ordered, but I had been sidetracked just by the mere fact that she was here eating lunch with me and my friends.

"Spirits that burns," Asami finally manages to speak. "Thanks for the water."

"Sorry I should have warned you about them; I didn't realize you ordered the same thing." I apologize but can't help the smirk on my face. "You handled that a lot better than most people."

"Really?" Asami looks up at me with a raised brow.

"Yeah usually people go running out in search of the nearest iceberg, like Ku…" Bolin stops before he can finish saying her name.

For a moment, I feel cold and hard, but one look at Asami's gentle green eyes, brings me back. She was here with me in this moment; she kept the memories away.

"Like someone we used to know," Opal finishes her boyfriend's sentence and I notice Asami's brow lift as she wonders about the partially spoken name.

"I love spicy, but this… this will take some getting used to." Asami seems to have deferred her curiosity for the moment.

"Korra loves this place so I'm sure you'll be eating here again."

Again, I'm not ready for Opal's implications and choke on my food. Choking on spicy food is about the worst thing to ever happen, but I feel Asami's hand pat and then rub my back. The gesture is simple, but for some reason, I feel the same way I did on the bike… I want to feel more of it.

"Thanks," I manage to wheeze out as I'm coming down from my coughing escapade. "And while it is true that I love this place, I promise it won't be the only thing we eat together." Even if Opal's comment had been embarrassing, the truth of the matter was that I had to get closer to Asami.

I keep my face from reacting as I see a faint blush on her cheeks; it makes me feel warm and a bubbly feeling in my chest fizzles gently.

"Tomorrow, are you free?" Asami asks.

"My time off of work has actually been extended," I say and immediately a new feeling settles in my chest; a tight, slightly painful knot. I was lying to her, and it would only get worse from here.

I can see Opal's eyes looking at me worriedly; she thinks something awful at work has happened, no doubt. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to tell Opal or Bolin what had actually happened. If this was going to be successful, I couldn't risk blowing my cover.

"Oh, what do you do anyways? I never asked,"

"I work with the Republic City Police… a detective to be more specific." I explain, "Chief Beifong thinks I need to actually use up my vacation time," I smile, hoping to come off as something other than woeful.

"I knew there was a mysterious edge about you," Asami jests, "well then, detective, would you mind coming with me to a rather horrendous dinner party?"

"Horrendous?" I ask and wonder why she'd want to take me to something that didn't sound enjoyable.

"It's one of my father's social mixers… I'd rather bring someone I know I'll enjoy being around than leave it up to fate."

Hiroshi Sato was having a dinner party-perfect. Beifong had assured her that her identity would be kept from Hiroshi, but the man would make his own assumptions no doubt.

"Well looks like you two have some planning to do!" Bolin smiles wide and takes Opal's hand, "Unlike you guys, we have jobs to get back to, so we'll catch you guys later."

"It was great seeing you again Asami!" Opal hugs both of us and then looks at me, "I'm going to give you a call later, and you better answer or else I'll be knocking your door down tonight."

I nod and say, "that's why we're best friends."

Asami chuckles and waves bye as the couple exits. Now it's just me and her, and I'm feeling nervous. It helps when I think about spending time with her as an assignment, but when she looks back at me, I feel like a girl on her first date with a crush.

"So this might sound strange, but…" Asami's gaze trails to the floor, "could we maybe come up with a cover story for your job. My father doesn't take to kindly to government officials… unless they're crooked."

I raise my brow; I have to look like I have no idea what she's talking about.

"I'm all for cover stories, but why?"

"My father is Hiroshi Sato of Future Industries… I'm sure you've heard stuff about him working where you do."

"Ah," I pretend again that I'm barely coming to a realization, "yeah I guess I've heard a few things… I didn't realize he had a daughter."

"Keeping me out of his business is probably the only smart thing he's ever done." Asami says bitterly. "Sorry, let's change subjects," she sighs.

"What time should I pick you up?"

She looks back up at me with a smirk, "this time I'll be picking you up."


End file.
